The present invention relates to an art for sharing a data processing result synchronously and in real-time among a group of remotely-located users at respective terminal devices, especially an art that enables users to see at respective terminal devices in different graphical forms based on the same data processing result.
First of all, an information processing device of prior art where a plurality of users share a data processing result at respective terminal devices is explained.
FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a terminal device of an information processing device of prior art.
A terminal device 31 comprises an input device 311 (a keyboard or a mouse, for example), a display device 321 (a CRT, for example) and an information processing device 331 (a CPU, for example).
In the terminal device 31, the input device 311 is connected with the information processing device 331 and the display device 321 is connected with the information processing device 331, thus each terminal device is configured.
As such a configuration example, there are a workstation, a personal computer and the like.
Next, an information processing device of XTV (X-window Terminal View) system for sharing at each terminal device a data processing result using a plurality of the above-mentioned terminal devices is explained.
FIG. 9 shows a configuration of an information processing device of XTV (X-window Terminal View) system, where terminal devices 41, 42 and 43 are connected to each other via a network (ISDN or High-speed dedicated line, for example). The dotted lines in FIG.9 show communication lines (channels) of information.
Here, as an example, each terminal device shares the same data processing result and the same data processing result is displayed at each terminal device in the form of table or graph.
In the same way as the above-mentioned terminal device 31, the terminal device 41 is configured from an input device 411, an information processing device 421 and a display device 431. In addition, an input/output visualization means 441 exists in the information processing device 421.
This input/output visualization means 441 transmits an input information (information on a pressed key on a keyboard, for example) to other input/output visualization means or receives an information transmitted from the terminal device and lets the display device 431 display the information.
In the same way as the terminal device 41, the terminal device 43 is configured from an input device 413, an information processing device 423 and a display device 433. In addition, an input/output visualization, means 443 exists in the information processing device 423.
The terminal device 42 is configured from an input device 412, an information processing device 422 and a display device 432.
In addition, an input/output visualization means 442 same as the input/output visualization means 441 exists in the information processing device 422.
Moreover, an input processing means 452, a data processing means 462 and visualization information conversion means 472 exist in the information processing device 422.
The input processing means 452 input processes data input through the input/output visualization means 442 so that the data processing means 462 can can perform data processing, outputs input processing information.
The data processing means 462 processes the input processing information and outputs a processing result thereof.
The visualization information conversion means 472 converts the processing result by the data processing means to predetermined visualization information (information for displaying a data processing result in a form of graph, for example).
Next, FIGS. 10 and 11 show data flow input at the input device 411 in the terminal device 41 for displaying the data processing result.
FIG. 10 is a chart showing a flow of information from the terminal device 41 in the information processing device shown in FIG. 9 to the terminal device 42 and 43.
FIG. 11 is a chart showing a flow of information shown in FIG. 10 by the form of processing flow according to each step.
When data input using the input device 411 in the terminal device 41 (step 401), the input/output visualization device 441 transmits an input information (information on a pressed key on a keyboard, for example) to the input/output visualization means 442 in the terminal device 42. (step 402). The input/output visualization means 442 inputs a received input information and outputs the received input information to the input processing means 452. (step 403).
The input processing means 452 input processes a data so that the data processing means 462 can perform data processing, converts it to an input processing information and outputs a result to the data processing means 462. (step 403).
The data processing means 462 processes data based on the input processing information, outputs a processing result thereof to the visualization information conversion means 472. (step 403).
The visualization information conversion means 472 converts a data processing result to visualization information for displaying the data in the form specified by a user, for example, in the form of bar graph if a user specified it, passes the visualization information to the input/output visualization means 442. (step 404).
The input/output visualization means 442 transmits the received visualization information to the input/output visualization means 441 in the terminal device 41 and the input/output visualization means 443 in the terminal device 43. (step 405).
The input/output visualization means 441 in the terminal device 41 lets the display device 431 display the received visualization information. (step 406).
Similarly to this, the input/output visualization means 443 in the terminal device 43 lets the display device 433 display the received visualization information. (step 407).
The input/output visualization means 442 in the terminal device 42 lets the display device 432 display the same visualization information as that transmitted to the terminal device 41 and terminal device 43. (step 408).
Thus, the prior art terminal devices uniformly let terminal devices display the same data processing result.
In the above-mentioned information processing device of prior art, however, there is a problem in that each user cannot refer the data processing result in a favorite expressive form since the prior art, broadcasts the same data processing result to all users in the same form.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing art enabling users to see the same data processing result in different forms at respective terminal device when the plural users share a data processing result in real-time at respective terminal devices.
The object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing apparatus comprising a first terminal device and a plurality of second terminal devices. The first terminal device includes a data processing means for processing an input processing information and outputting a data processing result, and a broadcast communication means for broadcasting the data processing result to the second terminal devices. Each second terminal device includes an input processing means for processing input data for conversion to input processing information that can be processed by the data processing means, and an visualization information conversion means for converting the data processing result transmitted by the broadcast communication means to a visualization information specified by a user.
By the present invention configured as above, an input processing information from an input processing means in a terminal device is processed in a data processing means, the same processing result is transmitted to the visualization processing means in other terminal devices.
Then, a visualization information conversion means in each terminal device independently converts the processing result to visualization information, simultaneously enabling different or same visualization processing at respective terminal devices.
Therefore, users who are sharing the same data processing result can see the visualized information in the same form or different forms at the same time.
Also, the present invention can operate the above-mentioned broadcast communication means as an independent terminal that provide a data processing means in each terminal device and broadcast the input processing information to each data processing means using the broadcast communication means.
Explained as above, the present inventions, enables sharing of the same visualized information like prior art but the visualization processing means in each terminal device can selectively perform different kinds of visualization processing. As a result, it becomes possible to share the same data processing result in different visualization forms.